Chicken Soup
"Achoo!"
Fire Lord Zuko woke up to hearing a sneezing sound. He turned and found the origin of the noise. His wife: the Fire Lady Mai.
"Oh my!" Zuko mumbled as he softly shook the sleeping queen
"Achoo"
"Mai, wake up…" Zuko groggily said
"Mmmm" Mai mumbled. Her voice sounded like her nose was pinched
"Mai!" Zuko said as he gently poked her tummy
"I'm…Achoo…up!" Mai told him as she struggled to sit up
"Good Morning! You have a cold!" Zuko uncheerfully said
"Yeah…I haven't been able to sleep well last night. I have a cloggy nose...urghhh!" Mai goggled at Zuko for a while and a soft smiled played upon her pale face
"Why do you have a cold? Was it because you went out yesterday while it was raining?" Zuko guessed. His eyes were so full of concern
"Always the smart one, huh, fire Lord?...Achoo!" Mai was trying to play cool but she couldn't hide it
"Answer the question!" Zuko demanded
"Fine…I did! It was just because I left my book there and I didn't want it to get wet!" Mai explained
"Couldn't you have just gotten the servants to retrieve it for you?" Zuko asked
"I'm not lazy, Zuko!" Mai gently said
"I know you're not! You got bossed around by my sister for almost a year just to find me but you're also Fire Lady!" Zuko said
"So what? Cant fire Ladies get sick?...Achoo!" Mai asked
Zuko recalled a moment or two that Ursa, his mom the past fire lady got sick and everyone was running around
"Gotcha there didn't I?" Mai laughed a phlegmy laugh.
"No, you didn't! Listen, you're too ill to sit at the throne today and do your usual stuff! Stay in bed while I get the healers" Zuko said as he stood up and walked to the bathroom. But as he was at the door, Mai stopped him
"Hold it! Hold Everything! You're not going to get any of those pesky healers!" Mai exclaimed
"You need professional care! You're important to the Fire Nation and mostly to me! You have to be cared for!" Zuko indignantly said
"I've always wanted to be taken care of the old fashioned way! Send for some Chicken Soup!...Achoo!" Mai cheerfully said.
In her childhood days, when she got sick, her mother would send the doctor. The healers always left a bottle of medicine and told her to rest and have some chicken soup. Mai always believed it was the soup, not the medicine
"Chicken Soup?" Zuko loudly said
"Yeah! That always cures me!" Mai grinned
"No way!" Zuko said
"Please?" Mai asked. Her eyes shined and Zuko looked at those golden orbs for 5 seconds in silence and gave in
"Fine! I'll have the best Chicken Soup made in the palace!" Zuko said as he gave a warm smile
"Thanks!...Achoo!" Mai cried as Zuko closed the bathroom door.
Minutes later, Zuko walked out of the bathroom in his Fire Lord garb. Mai was jealous that she didn't get to wear the matching Fire Lady outfit made for her. It had grown on her day by day
"Bye!" Zuko said. He leaned forward to give her a kiss but Mai held a hand in front of her in which Zuko face was buried in
"No kiss! You'll catch my disease. We wouldn't want that to happen to the Fire Lord" Mai said
"Fine!" Zuko grumbled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Then, he exited the room
Mai contented herself with a book on combat. She missed her assassin days in the times of war and wished it could be returned. But she wouldn't want the war to return just for her reminiscing. But her stealthy stance and the ability to move without much attention was still intact. Though when in her Fire Lady Clothes, it didn't work that much but in normal days, she loved to sneak up on her friends
Minutes later, Princess Azula (Who now served as Zuko's adviser) entered with Ty Lee (Who was the Fire Nation's ambassador).
"Mai! We heard, how are you feeling?" Azula asked as she softly placed a palm on Mai's forehead
"Not well! Judging by her aura which is a murky green!" Ty Lee announced
"And by the amount of tissues on my bed!" Mai rolled her eyes
"Anyway, Zuko's going mad! I mean, he told us that Chicken Soup could cure you!" Azula laughed
"I asked for the soup, Azula!...Achoo!" Mai grinned
"You did? But there are healers and…" Ty Lee began but Mai cut her off
"I wanted it to die old fashionably" Mai said
"Anyways, there are visitors!" Azula announced. Footsteps echoed through the hallways then Toph (Who was the Earth Kingdom ambassador) followed by Katara (The Water Tribe ambassador both in north and south) entered
"Mai!" The two screamed. They hadn't seen each other for almost a year!
"Katara, Toph! How are my favorite Ambassadors...Achoo!" Mai asked
"Hey!" Ty Lee madly said
"Fine…How are two of my favorite Ambassadors?" Mai shook her head disapprovingly and Ty Lee proudly back flipped
"We're the ones who should be asking that…you're a mess, Fire Lady!" Toph said as she "Tsked" at Mai
"Yeah…you better heal soon…Don't you want me to heal you? I haven't gone rusty!" Katara offered
"Nah…I just want the chicken soup...Achoo!" Mai said
Katara looked at Azula and she gave back a look that said "It's a long story!"
A bell tinkled and a maid appeared from the door
"Chicken Soup, madam! The fire lord told me to give it to you!" She softly said
"Thanks! Leave it here!" Mai gestured to the side table and the maid put it there
"Begging your pardon, ladies but the Fire Lord told me strictly that Fire Lady Mai should be left alone to rest!" The maid said
"Fine" Everyone grumbled as they exited. They shouted a few "get better" phrases and Mai was left on her own, sipping the delicious Chicken Soup
"When Zuko means the best he means it" Mai mumbled to herself
Hours after hours later, books after books later, bowls and bowls of Chicken Soup(she was only served thrice, not counting the meals) Mai sat down crossed legged on her bed as Zuko's footsteps were heard
Zuko entered the room and saw the pretty figure smile gently at her. He then smiled back and gave her a quick peck on the cheek
--
(Minutes ago in the parlor)
"Here's the medicine you asked me to bring in…Get it into her soup and let her drink water with this at night…She'll be healed tomorrow!" Katara said as she slapped the medicine bottle in Zuko's hand
"Make sure she doesn't see!" Toph giggled
"Thanks" Zuko said
--
After Zuko had changed into his Nightclothes (Mai had also changed into her black shenyi that day and needed to change into her night gown), he gave Mai a glass of water to drink
"Thanks!" Mai smiled
"Now sleep! I hope you'll feel better" Zuko said and a mischievous grin appeared in his face
"What?" Mai raised her eyebrow
"Nothing! Good Night" Zuko flicked the oil lamp beside them off
(Next Morning)
"Zuko, Zuko!" Mai joyfully waked her husband
"Wha…What?" Zuko sleepily rubbed his eyes and they slowly opened
"I've been cured...though when I was a child, I didn't heal that fast…but who cares? The fire lady is back on track!" Mai cheerfully screamed
"All right!" Zuko cheered on as he punched his fist into the air "Thank you Katara and Toph!" Zuko thought
"Chicken Soup is the best!" Mai said
"Yeah! Thank Agni you healed! Now I can do what I missed for one day!" Zuko grinned
"What?" Mai curiously asked
"This!" Zuko held Mai's shoulders and kissed her passionately
"You missed that?" Mai asked
"Yeah" Zuko shrugged
Mai smiled
"Now get dressed, Fire Lady, we need to get to the throne room!" Zuko said
Mai was really glad that she was back…even though it was just for a day
XX...XX...XX
I got this idea today because I have a cold! Then I sipped some Chicken Soup and tonight, I wrote this story feeling better!
Maiko cookies if you review!